Articolo 31

Consisting of rapper J-Ax, born Alessandro Aleotti, alongside producer DJ Jad, born Luca Perrini, the Italian duo Articolo 31 ranked among the country’s most prominent hip-hop acts. Their initial approach mirrored golden age rap through freestyle rhymes over sampled beats and choruses, yet filtered through an Italian lens. Gradually they broadened the palette by folding in funk, reggae, rock, and additional genres, which moved them beyond strict hip-hop purism and toward wider commercial appeal. Their first full-length album, Strade di Città, arrived in 1993 and stood as one of Italy’s earliest hip-hop releases. Shortly afterward they helped launch the Spaghetti Funk collective in 1994; Messa di Vespiri surfaced the same year and marked their commercial breakthrough. Even as underground hip-hop circles voiced disapproval, further albums such as Così Com’è, Nessuno, and Xché Si! sustained their momentum with an increasingly pop-oriented direction, the last of which included an appearance by old-school legend Kurtis Blow. The pair made their acting debut in the 2001 film Senza Filtro. After Domani Smetto in 2002, Italiano Medio in 2003, and the 2004 live release La Riconquista del Forum, they entered a hiatus to focus on separate solo projects.